Hundreds of U.S. Special Operations Forces, including Navy SEALs and Army Rangers, have deployed to the Middle East, joining thousands of Marines and Army paratroopers in the region, according to sources familiar with the movements. The buildup, first reported by The New York Times, is intended to provide the United States with a range of military options in Iran. These could include operations targeting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s oil infrastructure on Kharg Island, or the country’s stockpile of enriched uranium. U.S. Central Command declined to comment on the deployments.

President Donald Trump, in a Monday post on Truth Social, emphasized that negotiations with Iran were ongoing and expressed hope for a ceasefire to end the conflict, now in its fifth week following the U.S.- and Israel-led